This list is by no means exhaustive. However it attempts to define some of the mysterious words FIU librarians use.

Abstract - Brief summary of the contents of a book or article.

ALA - American Library Association.

Audiovisual or AV - Materials in non-print form such as videos, slides, compact discs, and audio cassettes. These items are on the 5th floor of the Green Library and the 1st floor of the Biscayne Bay Library.

B.Bay -Biscayne Bay Campus of FIU. See also BBC.

BBC - Biscayne Bay Campus of FIU. Sometimes referred to as the North Campus, North Miami Campus, Bay Vista, or the Interama Campus.

Bibliographic Citation - See Citation.

Bibliography - List of information sources (books, articles, videos, etc.) on a subject or person. Usually found at the end of the book or article. It can provide a great starting point for research.

Boolean Operators - Terms (AND, OR, NOT) that allow you to broaden or narrow your search. AND narrows your search. Using AND will yield fewer results. OR broadens your search. Using OR will retrieve more results. NOT narrows your search by removing any results which contain the keywords you specify. Use caution when using NOT. You may eliminate relevant results.
Examples:
college students AND stress
movies OR films
sports NOT wrestling

Bound Journals - Several magazines or journals usually grouped by year and sewn together in a hardcover like a book.

Call Numbers - A unique number assigned to each library book, journal, video, etc. It serves to group items of the same subjects together on the shelf. The call number is placed on the spine of the item and looks like this: E184.I6 .M117 1996.

Catalog - Use this to find the materials FIU Libraries owns. FIU Libraries catalog name is WebLUIS.

Circulate, Circulation, Circulating - Any library materials that can be borrowed and checked out of the library. Take the items to Circulation Desk to borrow. See also Non-circulating.

Citation - Information which identifies a book or article and gives enough information to locate the item. Usually includes author, title, date, page numbers, volumes, publisher, etc.

Collection Management - The process of planning, building, and maintaining a library's information resources in a cost efficient and user-relevant manner. Principal activities include the identification, selection, and procurement of appropriate materials.

Controlled Vocabulary - Standardized terms used in searching a specific database. Set of terms defined by the creator of a resource. Controlled vocabulary searching usually results in more precise and focused results. See also Keyword, Descriptor, Subject Heading, and Thesaurus.

Copy Card - Purchased from a machine in the library to make photocopies and print from computers. Requires a single dollar bill. Card costs $.50 and you get $.50 credit on card. Can use the same card over and over - just add money to the card.

Course Reserves - Items set aside in the library by a professor for the use of his/her students. Many (but not all) of these items may be available in full-text online. From the library homepage, library.fiu.edu, click on Course Reserves. Type in your instructors name.

Database - Organized collection of information that can be searched and retrieved. Academic Index is an example of a database.

Descriptor - A word or phrase that describes the subject of an article or book. It is a part of a Controlled Vocabulary and used in many databases. See also Subject Heading and Thesaurus.

Dissertation - Original research required for a Ph.D. degree

Distance Learning - When the majority of instruction occurs while the instructor and learners interact at a distance from each other. It can occur in a number of forms including online courses, telecourses, and a combination of online and person-to-person courses.

Document Deliery - A free service where you can order books, articles, etc. from the other campus or from other libraries. See also Intercampus Loan and Interlibrary Loan.

E-Book or Electronic Book - Book that is online and can be read on the computer screen.

E-Journal or Electronic Journal - Periodical or Journal or Magazine distributed in electronic form available online for reading, downloading, and/or printing.

Electronic Reserves - See Course Reserves.

EZ-Proxy - This is needed to search from home. Your EZ-Proxy identification number is the bar-code from the back of your FIU ID. Many of the databases the FIU Libraries offer may be restricted to current students, staff, and faculty of the University. The EZ-Proxy server will verify you as a member of the FIU community and allow access.

Full-text - The entire article is online.

GIS - Geographic Information System.

GL - Green Library.

Government Documents (Publications) - Any publication published by the federal, state, or local government. Government Publications are located on the 2nd floor of both libraries.

Holdings - Tells you what volumes and issues the library holds. For example if you need Volume 6 issue 2 of Newsweek you need to look at the holdings in the library catalog to be sure the libraries has the correct volume and issue you need.

ICL - See Intercampus Loan.

ILL - See Interlibrary Loan.

ILLiad - The name of the service for Interlibrary Loan. See Interlibrary Loan.

In Process - Refers to an item that has been ordered by the library but is not ready to be placed on the shelf.

Intercampus Loan - A free service to get books, articles, etc. sent to you from the other campus. For example, if a book you need is at University Park but you attend classes at Biscayne Bay or the Pines Center. You can request for the book to be sent to Biscayne Bay or the Pines Center. This service takes three working days.

Interlibrary Loan - A free service to get books, articles, etc. that FIU Libraries does not own.

ISBN -International Standard Book Number; unique number assigned to every printed book. Unfortunately, this number doesn't help you find the book on the shelf. Use the call number to find the book on the shelf.

ISSN - International Standard Serial Number; unique number assigned to every serial publication.

Journal - A publication issued on a regular basis which contains scholarly research published as articles, papers, and reports done in a particular discipline. The articles, papers, and reports are usually reviewed/refereed by peers (see also peer-reviewed). It is more scholarly than a magazine found in a grocery or drug store.

Keyword - Using a word or phrase to search for items. The search finds the keyword somewhere in the Record but the item may or may not be about the word or phrase. See also Subject Heading.

LACIC - Latin American & Caribbean Information Center.

Library Associate - We encourage members of the community to become Library Associates. Privileges include the availability to check out books, Recall books, and Intercampus Loan books. For more information, go here.

Library Card - Your FIU Panther card is your library card. The number on the back of your card is your library card number.

Location - In the library catalog, the location will tell you where the physical item is located. For example, it may say, B.BAY General Collection 3d fl. or UNIV.PARK AV Collections-5th fl. or any number of other locations. It is important to note the location of the item in order to find the item on the shelf.

Microfiche - See Microform.

Microform - Term used for printed items which have been reduced in size. To read Microfilm or Microfiche, a special machine is required.

Non-circulating - Items that must be used in the library are non-circulating. Examples include reference, periodicals, and reserve materials.

Online Catalog- See Catalog.

OPAC - Online Public Access Catalog. See also Catalog and WebLUIS.

Overdue - Items borrowed from the library must be returned. When an item is not returned by the due date, it is considered overdue.

Peer-reviewed - Articles are reviewed by a panel before being accepted for publication. Scholars in the discipline look at the article and determine whether the research is valid and evaluate whether the item should be published.

Periodical - Publications issued on a regular basis. See Magazine and/or Journal for different types of periodicals.

Pines Center - Provides library services and information for the faculty and students of the FIU Broward Program.

Primary Source - First hand accounts that first report research or ideas. They are usually reported as they happen. Examples include dissertations, interviews, and published materials written at the time of a particular event.

Proxy - See EZ-Proxy.

Recall - A request that an item checked out be returned so that you can borrow the item.

Record - A record is a representation of the actual book or article. It describes the item and usually gives you the title, author, subject, and date of the book or article. It may or may not contain an abstract.

Refereed - See Peer-reviewed.

Reference - The Reference desk is on the 2nd floor of both libraries. Go to the Reference Desk for help with your research. Reference Librarians are familiar with the information resources available and can show you how to use them. The Reference Collection contains materials with brief items of information such as facts, statistics, background information. The Reference area is a great place to start your research.

Renew - To extend the due date for an item.

Reserves - See Course Reserves.

Scholarly Journal - See Journal.

Secondary Sources - Resources that interpret, analyze, and describe original research, ideas, and historical events. Examples include textbooks, reference books, and book reviews.

SEFLIN - Southeast Florida Library Information Network.

Stacks - The shelves where books are located.

Subject Heading - Standardized words or phrases used to organize items on similar topics. Used in the library catalog and databases to group similar subjects together. See also Controlled Vocabulary, Descriptor, and Thesaurus.

SUS - State University System (of Florida).

Thesaurus - list of words that are synonyms and/or related to each other. See also Controlled Vocabulary, Descriptor, and Subject Heading.

Univ. Park - University Park campus of FIU. See also UP.

UP - University Park campus of FIU. Sometimes referred to as the South Campus or the Tamiami Campus.

URL - Uniform Resource Locator. The address of a webpage.

Web Browser - A program used to view web pages. The most common web browsers are Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera and Mozilla.

WebLUIS - The name of the library catalog. See also Catalog.